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Fishermen struggle as Mindoro oil spill keeps them ashore

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Cecil Morella, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Villagers view a dead bird along a beach in the coastal town of Pola, Mindoro island, Philippines, March 5, 2023. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) races to contain the spread of an oil spill caused by the sinking of an oil tanker off the coast of Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province on February 28. Thousands of fishermen have been ordered stay ashore as fishing activities were restricted. Francis R. Malasig, EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/05/20230305-oil-spill-pola-or-mindoro-epa11341130-s.jpg"/><figcaption>Villagers view a dead bird along a beach in the coastal town of Pola, Mindoro island, Philippines, March 5, 2023. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) races to contain the spread of an oil spill caused by the sinking of an oil tanker off the coast of Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro province on February 28. Thousands of fishermen have been ordered stay ashore as fishing activities were restricted. Francis R. Malasig, EPA-EFE</figcaption></figure></div>POLA, Oriental Mindoro — A crab covered in oil creeps across the sand as Philippine fishermen wearing white protective suits, rubber gloves, and respirator masks scrape toxic sludge from the rocks along the shore.Four weeks after a Philippine tanker loaded with 800,000 liters of thick oil sank off the central island of Mindoro, the vessel is still leaking.More than half the oil has been discharged and dispersed over hundreds of kilometers of waters famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world.Experts estimate the two main slicks northwest and southeast of the tanker could span 162 square kilometers. It took two days for the spill to reach Buhay na Tubig, a remote village in Pola, one of the island&#x27;s worst-affected municipalities.Some villagers got sick after oil smeared the shoreline, turning rocks black and leaving dark globs on the beach.Authorities have banned fishing and swimming indefinitely, leaving thousands of fishermen wondering how long they can survive.&quot;They say this might take six months, but what if we are unable to fish for an entire year?&quot; asked Arvie Anonuevo, 32, who has three children.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/20/23/bfar-eyes-new-livelihood-for-19000-oil-spill-hit-fishers">BFAR eyes new skills, livelihood for 19,000 fishers affected by Mindoro oil spill</a></li></ul>For more than two weeks, Anonuevo and other fishermen have spent four hours a day cleaning up oil in exchange for a daily wage of P355 from the government -- a little over half what they used to make from fishing.The fishermen use trowels and sheets of thin, absorbent material to clean the rocks.By the following day, more oil has washed up on the shore.&quot;It&#x27;s annoying that the oil keeps coming back the next day no matter how much you clean them (rocks),&quot; Anonuevo said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/23/pola-looking-for-alternative-work-for-oil-spill-affected-fishers">Pola looking for alternative livelihood for oil spill-affected fisherfolk</a></li></ul>The government estimates at least 5,000 hectares of coral reefs, seaweed and mangroves have been affected.Mangroves can suffocate if oil covers their roots, while corals -- breeding grounds for many fish species -- can die or struggle to grow and reproduce if exposed.It will take at least six months to clean up the spill but the recovery could be years long, said Irene Rodriguez, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute.One of the worst spills in the Philippines was in 2006, when a tanker carrying two million liters of oil sank off the central island of Guimaras.Rodriguez said 500,000 liters of oil leaked into the sea in that incident.This time, she hoped &quot;it can be contained as soon as possible&quot;.&quot;If (the oil) is not removed properly and not treated properly... this will have a significant impact,&quot; Rodriguez told AFP.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/09/23/damage-in-mindoro-oil-spill-will-be-felt-for-decades-group">Damage in Mindoro oil spill &#x27;extensive,&#x27; will be felt for decades - group</a></li></ul><div>LIVING &#x27;HAND-TO-MOUTH&#x27; </div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Fishermen wearing personal protective equipment take part in a clean-up operation from the oil spill of the sunken tanker Princess Empress along the shore in Pola, Oriental Mindoro on March 22, 2023. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/03/29/20230323-pola-oil-spill-cleanup-afp-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Fishermen wearing personal protective equipment take part in a clean-up operation from the oil spill of the sunken tanker Princess Empress along the shore in Pola, Oriental Mindoro on March 22, 2023. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP</figcaption></figure></div>The Princess Empress was found last week by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle, at a depth of nearly 400 meters. It had suffered &quot;extensive structural damage&quot; after sinking on February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard said.Seven out of eight cargo tanks have leaked. Of those, four are already empty.About 60 percent of the oil has spilled into the sea, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo told AFP.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/28/23/pcg-collects-9000-liters-of-oily-water-in-mindoro-spill">PCG: 9,000 liters of oily water mixture collected in Oriental Mindoro</a></li></ul>Rough seas initially delayed the deployment of floating barriers to contain the spill.Oil has been found as far away as the western island of Palawan, more than 350 kilometers from where the tanker went down.Some oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage, between Mindoro and the Philippines&#x27; main island of Luzon.The passage is near the top of the Coral Triangle, an area of water spanning down to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor that is called the &quot;Amazon of the Seas&quot; because of its rich marine life.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/28/23/new-oil-slick-spotted-in-verde-island-philsa">Traces of new oil slick spotted in Verde Island: PhilSA</a></li></ul>The Philippine Coast Guard said the vessel&#x27;s insurers were looking for experts to patch the leaks and remove the oil.Several countries, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, are helping the Philippines respond to the disaster.The owner of the tanker said anyone affected by the spill could seek compensation.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/03/29/23/fisherfolk-express-concerns-over-oil-spill-compensation">Fisherfolk express concerns over oil spill compensation process</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2508525" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Financial help can&#x27;t come fast enough for many of the fishermen, who would normally turn their hands to picking bananas or coconuts to supplement their incomes.But banana trees were damaged by a strong storm last year and the next coconut harvest is months away.Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz is worried about how families will make ends meet once government assistance dries up.&quot;These are people who live hand-to-mouth,&quot; Cruz told AFP, warning it could be a year before fishing is allowed to resume.Anonuevo is already struggling, having used half the money earned from the first week of cleaning rocks to pay off debts from buying food for his family and petrol for his motorbike.Fellow fisherman Marlon Fabrero, 46, said he was considering pulling one of his four children out of school to cut expenses.&quot;Where would I get the P50 daily allowance for each of them?&quot; he asked.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2512837" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div>© Agence France-Presse </div>

For more than 2 weeks, fishermen have spent four hours a day cleaning up oil in exchange for a daily wage of P355. 

Fishermen struggle as Mindoro oil spill keeps them ashore

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Fishermen struggle as Mindoro oil spill keeps them ashore

Cecil Morella,

Agence France-Presse

Published Mar 29, 2023 11:35 AM PHT

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